When a Girl Mom is Having a Boy

Right from the beginning, I knew it was a boy. Nothing was different physically, but I could feel his wild spirit. One day I told my husband, “I feel like I became a lion to give birth to a lion” because at the time, I was deeply and widely studying various resources on what it means to be a Christian who is as bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1). I just knew we were expecting a baby boy.

Baby Boy Loading…

Lately, my blog has become a constant swirl of all things pregnancy, and to my loyal sweethearts, I promise to return to more of my “old ways” once this little darling arrives. For now, I couldn’t resist taking a moment to sip in all the emotions that this season brings.

It’s my last pregnancy (amen?), and I’m determined not to miss out on any part of being pregnant. Lol! 

Jokes aside, I actually enjoy capturing my feelings with words before they fly away. It’s my thing. Remember when I shared what it feels like;

• to be single when all my friends were getting married,
• to be engaged,
• to be a newly married woman (one week old),
• to be pregnant for the first time (1st trimester, 2nd trimester and 3rd trimester),

I even also shared what it feels like to be a broke entrepreneur. Wow, is there anything else I haven’t shared with you on this Heart Rays?? You see! Please, allow me share what it feels like to be a girl mum expecting a baby boy. 

So with that being said, I’m both excited and nervous about entering a whole new world of being a boy mom!

Letter to My Baby Boy Long Before He was Born

“Things in the past. Things yet unseen. Wishes and dreams. All of my hopes. And all of my plans. My heart and my hands are lifted to You.”

Letter to My Son

✍🏽

Son,

Sometimes, I wonder what it will be like to hold you and just stare at you for hours. I even wonder if l’d still look pretty carrying you in my womb before then. I know I'll be different when you come along. I am too excited about you.

Yesterday, I was daydreaming and wondering what you will look like. Maybe you'll be chubby. Maybe you'll have full hair. Maybe you'll be dark and tall. Maybe you'll like to sing. Maybe you'll like to write. Either way—you are going to be a very smart guy.l just know it.

It is my desire to raise sons, whose sisters, wives and children would be proud of. It is my desire to be called blessed for your sake.

You are a blessing. Not just to me, but also to your dad, the family, the church and to the world.

PerfectMachForever Announces BABY BOY with ‘DREAM COME TRUE’ Music Video

We prayed for a boy. We waited. And now, we sing.

“Dream Come True” is a song of prophecy and gratitude for the gift of life and answered prayers. We hope it blesses your heart as much as it did ours. 

Produced and Directed by AMAKAMEDIA PRODUCTIONS.

Watch the full video HERE.

Stay tuned for more updates on my pregnancy journey with baby #3. 

I feel all the love. Thank you!

Blowing kisses!

Posted by Nwamaka Onyekachi

Let's connect on X: @Amakamedia

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Do Email: amakamedia@yahoo.com

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Heart Rays . . . giving light.

10 Practical Ways To Unlock Your Creativity in 2025

I want you to be able to look in the mirror and feel incredibly proud of the person looking back at you. This is to everyone who is committed to growing, refining their craft, and elevating their art, 2025 promises to be even better for you. Let’s dive into some practical steps to make 2025 your most creative year yet.

Unlock Your Creativity For 2025

✨

There are some things that I did in 2024 that I’ll work on even harder in 2025.

1. Self-Reflection

The first step in creating something remarkable is taking a step back to reflect.  

Why it matters:

• Understand where you are and where you’re coming from.  
• Define where you want to go next.  

Self-reflection is your compass—it reveals truths about your journey without sugarcoating them. As I worked on every project, I constantly asked myself:  

• Am I creating work I’m proud of?  
• Is this the path that aligns with my full potential?  

These reflections helped me refine my direction and focus.  

Meanwhile, AMAKAMEDIA PRODUCTIONS produced her very first movie. Go watch it on YouTube. 😊

2. Outline Your Creative Goals

Your ideas need structure to thrive. Once you’ve reflected, it’s time to turn those thoughts into actionable goals.  

Remember:

- Write your goals down. Ideas in your head are just dreams until they’re on paper.  

- Set goals that align with your creative vision, not to impress others.  

- Include timelines, action plans, and milestones.  

- Be honest about your capacity and priorities.  

3. Commit to Reading

Reading inspires creativity, expands your imagination, and improves your discipline.  

 I immersed myself in books about Self-Mastery, Parenting, storytelling, and business. Those books didn’t just inform me—they fired me up in various ways. 

Create a reading list for 2025. Include books, articles, and even scripts that challenge and inspire you.  

Let’s Wrap Up The Month of November (2024 Highlights)

It’s a wrap! Honestly, I didn’t keep track of my days the way I normally would during this time of year. I just lived, taking each day as it came. But you know what? I woke up today absolutely thankful for every blessing that has crossed my path.  

In the calm of my heart, I heard a whisper:  

“You should blog about November to Remember 2024 today.”  

“Oh, but I didn’t take stock.”  

“Go over your photos—you’ll find the highlights.”  

And so I did!

November to Remember 2024

🤗

This November felt like a soft embrace—a hug filled with quiet joys, simple pleasures, and moments that should last forever. I mean it. Looking back on how the month was, I am yet to catch my breath. Oh my!

Here are the highlights I’d love to share with you:

• A Mini Getaway

Earlier in the month, Kachi and I indulged in a quiet escape—more like a couple date outing. It was refreshing, peaceful, and a sweet reminder to slow down and smell the roses. We had heart-to-heart conversations that connected us deeper on a soulful level. I can’t describe it. Our marriage is super blessed.

A Mom’s Spontaneous Moment With Her Girls

Isn’t it interesting that this post coincides with the International Day of the Girl Child? Happy International Day of the Girl Child 2024! 

On Being Girls

Girliest girls 💛

One of the books I read in the third quarter of the year was ‘Bringing Up Girls’ by Dr. James Dobson. Such a great book. I actually read his first book on raising boys before discovering he had also written for the girls. How amazing. I really enjoyed it and loved it even more because he showed me ME. The little girl in me received some doses of healing. 

Here’s an excerpt from the book that resonated with me on my journey of being a girl:

Girls…. They are tender and more easily wounded than their brothers. And politically correct or not, I maintain that their inherent emotional nature makes them more easily manipulated. A longing for love and connectedness lies deep within their feminine souls. This is why they open themselves without commitment to guys who might, given a miracle, give them the affirmation they crave. They don’t seem to get much pleasure out of the perverse acts they perform. They are hoping against hope that some adolescent boy out there will fill the void and ease the ache inside. And increasingly, those unmet needs are created by something missing in the girls’ relationships with their mothers and/or fathers. 

How to Balance Ministry and Family

How can I balance ministry and family? It’s a question that burns in the hearts of a lot of pastors, pastors’ wives, and ministry workers. I hope this video provides some answers for you. 

I got my husband on this one. God has given us a family and he has called us to ministry. Can we balance both? Let’s talk.

LATEST POST: 

How Do You Know a Christian Brother is Serious About You?

 

Stay inspired.

See ya!

Posted by Nwamaka Onyekachi

Let's connect on X: @Amakamedia

Let's connect on Instagram: @amakamedia

Do Email: amakamedia@yahoo.com

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Heart Rays . . . giving light.

21 Days of Praise: Day 21 - A Heart of Praise

Woohoo! We’ve come to the final day of our #21DaysofPraise series! Today, we focus on cultivating a lifestyle of continuous praise. Praising God isn’t just for special moments or certain days; it’s a daily practice that transforms our hearts and lives.

Living a Life of Praise

Verse of the Day: Psalm 34:1

“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” — (NIV)

“I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.” — (TPT)

Praise is a fundamental aspect of our relationship with God, and understanding its importance can deepen our worship and connection with Him. Why do we praise God?

1. Because of Who He Is:

God is worthy of our praise simply because of who He is. He is the Creator of the universe, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. His majesty, holiness, and sovereignty command our reverence and adoration.

2. Because of What He Has Done:

We praise God for His mighty acts and wonderful deeds. From creation to salvation, God’s works are awe-inspiring. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us, and this ultimate act of love and sacrifice is a central reason for our praise.

21 Days of Praise: Day 11 - Counting Daily Blessings

Welcome to Day 11 of our #21DaysofPraise series! Today, we focus on the multitude of blessings that God showers upon us daily. Often, in the hustle and bustle of life, we may overlook the small, yet significant ways God blesses us each day.

Praise for Daily Blessings

She is a daily reminder… 😊

Verse of the Day: Psalm 103:2-5

“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” — (NIV)

“With my whole heart—with my whole life and with my innermost being—I bow in wonder and love before you, the holy God! Yahweh, you are my soul’s celebration. How could I ever forget the miracles of kindness you’ve done for me? You’ve kissed my heart with forgiveness, in spite of all I’ve done. You’ve healed me inside and out from every disease. You’ve rescued me from hell and saved my life. You’ve crowned me with love and mercy. You satisfy my every desire with good things. You’ve supercharged my life so that I soar again like a flying eagle in the sky!” — (TPT)

Every morning, I try to start my day by counting my blessings. From the breath in my lungs to the roof over my head, these daily blessings are constant reminders of God’s goodness. I keep a gratitude diary (or journal as it is now called), jotting down every little blessing I noticed throughout the day. This practice shifted my perspective, and I began to see God’s hand in every detail of my life. Even the seemingly insignificant moments—like a kind word from a friend or a beautiful picture—became powerful reminders of God’s love and care.

This is one of the many reasons I look forward to November. Every day, I intentionally share my thoughts, experiences, and blessings publicly. By the end of the year, I am always in awe. God is so faithful. Check out my November to Remember Diaries.

How to Unlock Your Self-Mastery by Journaling without Paying Much

The use of ‘diary’ is so old school now. Hahaha…. It’s interesting how each generation gets a new name for an already existing idea or concept. There are some things I hear people say today, and I’m like, “I do that too! In fact I’ve been doing that for yearsssss!” For instance, I have always preached the gospel of keeping a diary (see here and there) many times on Heart Rays. But, I think it’s high time I updated that to journaling. You feel me? 

A Practical Way to Gain Self-Mastery

First of all, I want to confess that I still find it very difficult to call my diary a journal. It’s so hard but I’m giving it a try. Let’s explore an entry in an old journal: 

Tuesday, 17 AUGUST, 2010 - 

I feel so like Job. 
"Curse God and die!" my thoughts yell at me.
"Look at your life!" 
How can God be faithful when He's obviously done nothing about my results?
I am still here when others have gone ahead.
I feel like I am the worst sinner. Maybe my sins are too much and God is trying to punish me. 

Anyway sha I know I will get through this. I believe God is faithful. He still loves me.

I wrote that at one of the most overwhelming seasons of my life. Guess what? I had just found out that I failed a final year course, which means an automatic extra year at the university. I felt like a failure and just wanted to end it all. 

Here is a more recent entry on my journal:

DIARY: November to Remember (2023)

Oh, my! So much can happen in one month! It’s incredible how this month has turned into a lifetime of milestones. Wow! 

November Highlights 2023

It has been a custom for me since 2017 to be very intentional about capturing my moments, blessings and lessons IN November. I don’t know what inspired this tradition, but I do know that I am never the same person by the end of November. I’m always evolving – from being broken to healed, single to married, married to pregnant, overwhelmed mother to joyful mother, and all that good stuff. I’m thankful for the Holy Spirit who quickens me to rise up to the challenge every single year. 

Here are the highlights of my November 2023:

1. Best Portrait So Far

During my quiet time, I got a leading to create a portrait of me on my branded T-shirt, inscribed AMAKAMEDIA. So I penned it down on my to-do list for the weekend. I thought I’d go to the studio to do that. 

The next day during my quiet time, the Holy Spirit prompted me about the portrait. I was so restless. He wanted me to get it done like right NOW. 

Immediately, I rushed to powder my face and apply some lip gloss. Then, I switched on my ring light, set my phone on timer and SNAPPED. 

Never Ever Write “My Husband Said” In A Professional Email

If you are reading this paragraph right now, just start laughing at me already. Just laugh. I didn’t know how funny the mail sounded until those who heard it started laughing about it. Lmho. 

Avoid Personal Reference In An Official Email

If you have been an ardent follower of Heart Rays, then you’d know that I share from real life experiences. I make it so raw that you can almost feel the emotions pouring onto the page. Yeah, I get that feedback from my readers A LOT. However, today is not going to be so emotional because I just want to get it over with. It’s 23:47 and I need to go to bed because I have to host a virtual brainstorming session with my team tomorrow morning. 

So, here’s the gist: Nigeria just concluded her gubernatorial election which brought a lot of tension in my local area due to tribal conflicts and electoral violence. It felt unsafe going to work today (Monday). My husband vehemently insisted that I stay back home with the girls as well. 

So I sent a mail to the HR stating that “my husband said...”. 

Please, laugh at me.

I don’t even know what I was thinking! 

Don’t be like me. Here are some reasons why you should AVOID using personal references in your professional emails:

1. It undermines your Credibility

When you're communicating in a professional setting, it's essential to maintain impartiality and avoid introducing personal biases or opinions into the conversation. Relying on someone else's opinion or authority in a professional setting suggests that you're not confident in your own knowledge or ability to make decisions. This can undermine your credibility in the workplace.

How To Pour From An Empty Cup When You’ve Been Called

Have you ever heard the phrase, “You can’t pour from an empty cup”? Oh, well. It is not written in the Bible and I have been asked to inspire you so that you can destroy that empty cup - the particular one you’ve been trying to fill.

Pouring Yourself

As a Christian. Wife. Mother of two beautiful girls. Author, blogger, teacher, speaker, and book lover. I am heavy on SELF CARE this year. I said it here. Yeah.

HeartRays (This blog) has been my safe space to share all things Christian - singlehood, (un)employment, marriage, fashion, motherhood and conservative issues since 2014. I believe in bold truth-telling, authenticity and purposeful living.

Each time I am privileged to look back on this journey, I am utterly thankful and filled with courage to just keep showing up. Blogging is a form of self-care. I only realized this a few minutes ago. Immediately I decided to draft this blog post, I started getting it.

It was a lightbulb moment when I realized that sharing my life (whether by writing, speaking or taking photographs) is a form of self care. I imagined it like a cup being poured out and the Holy Spirit tells me, “no girl, rivers of living water are flowing out of you!” 

Two Babies Under Two Years?! How?

Having babies close in age is not for the faint of heart. Phew. There is double diaper changes, double crying, double rocking to sleep and double everything. My two children are barely 15 months apart. This has been the most terrifying and interesting time of my life. 

I share how I’m dealing with all the emotions and tantrums in the video below:

DIARY: November To Remember (2022)

It’s the first of December. Yay! I want to be really excited but the devil is trying so hard to shake me up. He seems to be winning but you know what? He lost a long time ago. 

I am taking back my joy, my praise, my moments, my peace and everything else that has my name on it. Amen! 

November 2022

Every year I keep track of my November. I do this by capturing one or two moments of each day with a sentence or two. So I did it again this year. 

Tuesday 1: Celebrating Kachi’s cousin on WhatsApp. I’ve been saving this picture for a day like this. Hahaha. . .

Dear Diary, I Really Wanted A Boy

I’m a planner. I like to know my baby’s gender as soon as I am considered pregnant! But this time, Kachi and I involuntarily embraced the idea of being surprised until our second baby was born.

International Day Of The Girl Child 2022

“I want a boy.” I repeated as many times as possible. I told the people who were qualified to be told. It was what I wanted.

Some of the people I told smiled and wished same along with me while some looked at me with judging eyes. "You should just wish for a healthy pregnancy and baby. That's what's most important."

Oh well, I couldn’t help wanting what I wanted.

I wanted a boy and wasn't ashamed of that. I knew that I'd be a great mother to either boys or girls, so why should I have felt bad for having a preference? Was I any less grateful for getting the opportunity to parent another child? Was I being a selfish brat and only thinking about my wants, instead of thanking the heavens that I was able to conceive again?

Of course not.

You Can’t Quit Motherhood Like You Quit A Job

Some days, I wish motherhood was a job I could quit. (Let me mention that I am one who quit a job by just knowing and one who can also quit without having a back up plan). Yeah, there are days when I just want to be done.

Being a mother is way more time consuming (but way more rewarding than I ever expected) and so many feelings and emotions are involved.

When Motherhood Gets Overwhelming

When I first became a mother, there were so many days where everything felt hard. It felt overwhelming, which isn’t something I was anticipating with such frequency. It is getting easier as each day passes, but there are still days where I wish I could just quit motherhood. Even if it’s for a week.

I remember when I was just a two-month-old mother and the baby would cry, looking over at my mother-in-love and wondering why on earth she didn’t pick her up?

I couldn’t accept the daunting reality that her crying would be my forever responsibility. That was perhaps the very first overwhelming moment for me as a mother.

There I laid, nursing my sweet baby, weeping. I wept for the unknown, I wept for what I did know so personally and so painfully. I am a daughter, a wife, a sister, a friend and most prominently, I am a mother.

I cried.

And I’ve cried some more. 

Why Do Toddlers Hit Their Mothers?

Hahaha! I was literally laughing at myself when I realized I had just typed on Google the most ridiculous question ever. Let me ask you; what’s the most ridiculous question you’ve ever asked Google? 

Every day my little one amazes me with something new. 

This morning, I typed on Google; 

Why is my one year old hitting me?!

Lol.

And I was surprised to know that many other mothers all over the world have done the same in their lifetime. So, it’s actually a thing for toddlers to hit their mothers. Hahaha!

I studied that toddlers are more active, curious and expressive. And right now, my daughter is able to stand on her own, walking while holding onto a furniture and getting ready to take her first few independent steps. It’s exciting watching her growth and development!

In case you are also wondering why a toddler could possibly be hitting his/her mother, this is what I found out on parents.com:

6 Unusual Life Lessons From Last Year

Happy happy New Year, sweethearts of my blogosphere! Woohooo! 2021 was a uniquely transformative year for my life. And as you already know how I do, I track the changes. 

Life Lessons From 2021

At the end of every year, I sit down and reflect on what I learned. There is no specific aim or purpose to the exercise—the goal is to put on wings, fly up to 10,000 feet, and assess myself and the year that has passed.

2021 was a uniquely transformative year in my life. The year I evolved into a MOTHER. What! It was a year! I was in a haze for the most part of the year but I will do my best to bring my lessons into light for you.

DIARY: Thankful For A Great Support System In My Pregnancy Season

I am deeply thankful and blessed to have this amazing people encourage, uplift and help me get through my first pregnancy phase. God bless you!

My Support System

According to Merriem-Webster dictionary; a support system is a network of people who provide an individual with practical or emotional support.

There's no one word to describe this set of amazing people in my life. . . Family, friends and peers. I guess my support system is the closest thing that can be used.

I just want to thank you. Thank you for everything you have done for me, everything you do for me and everything I'm sure you will do for me in the future. I am extremely blessed to have you in my corner. 

This entry is specifically for those who gave me PRACTICAL and EMOTIONAL support during my pregnancy season. 

Uche (My Husband’s Cousin): Washed my clothes, cleaned the house, cooked and did the dishes for two weeks. She came at short notice. Quite helpful and resourceful.